A support tool (a furniture design support system) for designing an article (e.g., furniture) involving several factors such as shape, structure, dimensions, color, materials and quality of material in line with the wishes of the user is disclosed in WO 01/09778 (referred to as the “patent document” below).
According to the furniture design support system described in the patent document, parts (drawers, doors, legs, handles, etc.) are incorporated in a unit, which is a basic frame. Each part is correlated with a space (cell) defined in the unit. That is, the unit has a space (a cell) defined by a top board, bottom board, left side board, right side board and back board that construct the unit, and a part such as a drawer is incorporated in correlation with the cell. The cell can be partitioned by combining a partitioning board with the cell defined by the unit, and a part can be incorporated in each of the cells obtained by partitioning.
In accordance with the furniture design support system described in the patent document, not only an article of furniture constituted simply by a frame alone but also an article of furniture having a complicated structure in which various parts such as drawers are incorporated in spaces (cells) defined by the unit can be designed by combining parts in association with cells defined by the unit and partitioning boards.
The furniture design support system described in the patent document incorporates one part in one cell. A plurality of parts cannot be incorporated in one cell. Consequently, in a case where a plurality of parts are to be incorporated according to the furniture design support system described in the patent document, it is necessary that a plurality of cells be formed in advance by partitioning boards.
Further, in a case where a change is to be made to the dimensions of an article of furniture whose design has been completed or to the dimensions of an article of furniture that is in the process of being completed, the be partitioned by combining a partitioning board with the cell defined by the unit, and a part can be incorporated in each of the cells obtaining by partitioning.
In accordance with the furniture design support system described in the patent document, not only an article of furniture constituted simply by a frame alone but also an article of furniture having a complicated structure in which various parts such as drawers are incorporated in spaces (cells) defined by the unit can be designed by combining parts in association with cells defined by the unit and partitioning boards.
The furniture design support system described in the patent document incorporates one part in one cell. A plurality of parts cannot be incorporated in one cell. Consequently, in a case where a plurality of parts are to be incorporated according to the furniture design support system described in the patent document, it is necessary that a plurality of cells be formed in advance by partitioning boards.
Further, in a case where a change is to be made to the dimensions of an article of furniture whose design has been completed or to the dimensions of an article of furniture that is in the process of being completed, the furniture design support system described in the patent document is such that the dimensions of a part that has been incorporated in a unit (cell) cannot readily be changed in accordance with the change in dimensions of the unit (cell). The reason is that according to the system described in the patent document, all parts that have been incorporated in the unit have their dimensions (height, width and depth) decided using the coordinates (x, y, z) of the front lower left-hand corner of the cell as a reference.